How to Play the Famous "Smoke on the Water" Riff by Deep Purple

Why "Smoke on the Water" is Perfect for Beginners

"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple is one of the most recognizable guitar riffs of all time. It's simple melody makes it an excellent choice for beginners. Unlike other songs that require complex chords, this riff can be played using just a few frets and two fingers, making it a great way to develop finger strength and coordination.

Before diving into the riff, let's first understand how to read guitar tabs, which will help you play this and many other songs.

How to play the famous “Smoke on the Water” riff by Deep Purple

This is a famous riff that’s perfect for beginners to practice, and you can play it without worrying about full chords. It's one of the most iconic guitar riffs out there! Before we get into the riff, let’s quickly go over how to read guitar tabs.

GThe Basics of Guitar Tab

A guitar tab looks like this:

E|---0---1---3---|

B|---1---3---5---|

G|---0---2---4---|

D|---2---4---6---|

A|---3---5---7---|

E|---0---2---4---|

Here’s how to read it:

• Lines represent the strings of the guitar.
• The bottom line is the lowest (thickest) string (this is the E string).
• The top line is the highest (thinnest) string (this is the high E string).

The 6 Strings of the Guitar are:

E|----- High E (thinnest string)

B|----- B string

G|----- G string

D|----- D string

A|----- A string

E|-----Low E (thickest string)

Strumming/Plucking

Instead of strumming, you’ll be plucking the strings one at a time. Make sure each note rings out clearly.